Machine for testing materilas constrained to alternate flexure



Nov. 2', 1948.

Filed March 3, 1945 4 Sheet-Sheet 1 ROGER? L'HERNHTE.

HWLWM- i v A'f'tcakhxige.

IEww-raa- Nov. 2, 1948. R. LHERMITE MACHINE FOR TESTING MATERIALS CONSTRAINED TO ALTERNATE FBEXURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1945 H M R a H w R E b o R Nova 2, 1948. R. LHERMITE 2,453,023

MACHINE FOR TESTING MATERIALS CONSTRAINED T0 ALTERNATE FLEXU'RE Filed March 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Iwuawro m.

Nov. 2, 1948. R. L HERMITE 2,453,023

MACHINE FOR TESTING MATERIALS CONSTRAINED To ALTERNATE FLEXURE 7 Filed March 3, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENNOQ Ram R1 3 nmwu'rxi.

Patented Nov. 2, 1948 MACHINE 'FUB 'EESTING MATERIALS CON- QSTRJAINEDEGJ'LALTERNATE FLEXU-RE Robeit nneimite. ("jlermont FrrandiFrance,as signorto'li ondatiiin dite: Groupeme'nt Fran'cais Application M c's 3, 1945, S er ial1NoV580fl y In France May '22, 194?.

Section 1, rubucmatv 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 22; 1962 warm.

The presentinvention able shape, either periodical distortions of sinusoidal aspect, symmetrical relatively to a (mean 5 position which can be; or notj the position of 'rest, or more complex distortions resulting iromthe superposition of two or more sinusoidal movements of any periods whatever.

In tests by alternate fiex-ure; itiis advantageous in fact tobe" able to study the comportm'ent "of the material under variable attractions without necessarily the-stresses exerted in onedirection be equal to the stresses aexerted inthe other. iBut it is also advantageous to be able to subject the material to stresses which follow aimore complicated law. Thosetowhich the i members fare subjected inreality, often result in fact from the superposition of severalattractionssioi various 'naturean'd periods, and itwis not obvious that the limit ofifatigue of the material is the :same'when it is-subiected to stresses which'vary according to difierent laws. In particular it imay beasasked *what is the I limit of :fatigue of a material .sub-

jected ito'theaction of normal uniform stresses "to which are-.spasmodically added abnormal over- 'plitude are applied, said "head deviatesimore jor less-fromits initial-position. H the -limits ofresiliency of the 1 material tested I'aIG HOt departed from, at least 'aslong as cracks of fatigue-are not produced at the surfaceof the test-piece the shape'ofthe test-piececan be so chosen that the amount of deviation assumed bythe'hea'd of the latter is proportional to the amplitude ofthe stress applied. EBased on'this remark, .the machine according to the invention allows ofsub- .jecting a testepiece of the material :tobe tested to -:alternate fiexures according to a :simple F101 'complexcla-w :and==of adjusting theiamplitude of the "deviations assumed by the head of theitestpiece-duringzsaid flexures so that they correspond to'the amplitude of the "stresses (average; stresses and'extreine stresses) to which it is desired to 'subiectsaid test+piece. 1 V

:Said i'machine is therefore devised itol'ialiow of adjusting 'with-verygreat accuracy-the deviations it imparts to the head of the test pieceito-be, tried, andiof comparing saidvdeviations withrthestresses towhich theyfcorrespond. a i p y .Ifrit llS 'sulficie'nt to obtain a machine'zallowing to usubj eat :the testepiece :to alternate distortions acoovdingitosa simple sinusoidaltlaw, the machine hasifor' obi exit "a machine for testing materials constrained to alternate fiexure, allowing to impartto a test-"piece ofsuit- -can be reduced'to the following elementsitiniadwidition to the jaws for "firmly iembed cling foneaof ithe ends ofthe test-piece, the machine comprises motor allowing to cause the rotation oi-a: crankplate of adjustable eccentricity, aiconnectingrod .also of adjustable length transmittingwthe move- .inentirom'the crank-handle to a beam [oscillatin about an axis-parallel =to the axis} of: ifiexure of the teste'piece and subjecting the headmf the latter to "reciprocating i'displacementsxot definite amplitudes. It also comprises measuring apparatus for determining the amplitude iOf:i1l1'IediS placement of the free-=endofuthe@testepiece; to compare iit with'that: of-the displacement icaused by a stress ofggiven intensity, devices iioravoiding that the test-piece besubje'cted tostresses ?other :than those the effects of which are to beistudied, tostop the apparatuses soonvas the testepiece breaksgetc; i

If on the ccntrary it. isudesired:toisubject lthe itest+pieceqto distortions according tomoretcdmplicated laws, :the apparatus. is modified in order toxbe able to impart thereto supplementary move:- -mentswhich are superposedtoithe preceding one;

. :it is thus that a second crank-plate ean be i-proe vided acting on a connecting-rod ofyadjustable ilengthgat the end of -which is mounted the spindle of the beam as will be explained hereinafter in greater detail; us'ecan also be madeofthesin- Igl-e crank-plate of the simple machinenby adjoin ting thereto a devicecausing its e-ccentricity'wto =:vary during the operation. 1:3. A The accompanying drawing showsbywayof -inJ-'- dicating example andnot in;a limiting sensean embodiment 'of the presentinventionq Fig. 1 is a diagram of the principle Figs. 2 and 3 show respectively inilfrontiview andside-view Withparts broken away, a machine according to the invention. i 7a Fig.4 shows, on an enlargedwscale,atestepiece. Fig. 5 is a diagram of theprincipletof; a doubleactingmachine. I a y t The electric motor! drivesby meansfof theibelt 2 the crank -plate 3. The connecting rodA-cOnnectssaid crank-plate F3t0'13he beam 5 oscillating about the horizontal pivot fi; the upper end of-the beam terminates in an index :1 moving in front of a-graduation fl;'the'lower:end thereofntermie nates-in-a forkemember 9 in which :is engagedta,

roller 1 0,;secured -at the head For the test-piece; 11;, the foot of which is xfirmly embedded at l2. if the {eccentricity Of-' the prank-plate 3 a'nd the length 'of conn'ectinger'od 4 are suitably adjusted, the head of the test-piece is subjected to displace: ments of .definite l amplitudaandequalwon -either side of its position of equilibrium, but the eccentricity and length of the connecting-rod can also be acted upon so that the mean position of the test-piece corresponds to such a stress which has been fixed beforehand.

The machine illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is mounted on a cast-iron frame 13 secured on a base (4. Theele'ctric motor ltransmits'its movements to the shaft 15 by means of the belt 2 engaged on pulleysl6 and 3. The shaft I is supported,on.,the one hand, by. a fixed bearing I8 secured on the frame, one the other hand by a ball-bearing I9 embedded alsoin the frame.

The end of shaft IE on the side of the bearing is connected to a speed reducing device 20 connected to the revolution counter 2 I I The other end of said shaft carries outside the frame a crank-plate 3; provided, according to one of its diameters, with a dove-tail groove 2!.

The spindle of the eccentric 22 is mounted on a slide-block which engages in aid groove. The eccentricity is adjusted by means of a screw 23 the axis of which is parallel to groove 2N and the square head of which is held in a housing rigid with the plate.

'The connecting-rod 4 is constituted by two screw-threaded rods of reverse pitch. Each is terminatedby a circular cage 24, 25 containing the .ball-bearingof the corresponding spindle. These two screw-threaded rods screw in one and the same sleeve 26 held in position by two locknuts 21, 28.

" One of the ball-bearings is mounted on the spindle of the eccentric 22 and is clamped by means of a nut 29, the other is mounted on the spindle 30 carried by the beam 5.

The beam is a steel member hollowed out at the'lower and upper parts thereof. It is mounted on ball-bearings 3| and oscillates about a horizontal pivot 6 secured on the frame.

The upper part ofthe beam carries the spindle '30 of the connecting-rod; the lower part is dividedinto two branches to form a fork-piece 9 and receive the roller ID of the head of the testpiece ll. A brass index I forming sliding-gauge is moreover secured at the upper part of the beam; its deviation is read relatively to a graduated plate 8.

The test-piece is clamped in jaws I2 constituted by two blocks one of which 33 is fixed and rigid with the frame l3, the other 34 is secured on the first one by means of three clamping screws 35,one of'which ensures at the same time the hooked on the spindle 45 of roller l0 and constantlyurged'upwardly by a weak draw-spring 46. I The test-piece ll shown in Fig. 4 comprises a central part laterally limited by the two sides 46 of an isosceles triangle the apex 41 of which must theoretically fall on-the axis of the head roller, in orderthat the rate of operation of which should be constant; but experience has shown thatsaid axis must in fact fall a few millimeters lower.

Said test-piece comprises a flaredfoot I la a d to the required amount.

a flared head II b, in order to allow the securing in position of the jaws 33, 34 onthe one hand and of the notched member 31 supporting the roller 10, on the other hand.

, After having thus measured the deviations which must be given to the head of test-piece so that it should be subjected to the desired stresses,

the head of the test-piece l l is placed in the forkpiece 9 of the beam 5 and slight jerks are imparted to the latter. The resiliency of the testpiece always restores it to the same position. The

zero of index I is then caused to coincide with that of plate 8 by displacing the latter laterally The head of the testpiece is removed from the fork-piece and the beam 5 is inclined sufiiciently so that sleeve 26 of connecting-rod 4 can be screwed again. The nut holding the eccentric stationary is unscrewed. The crank-plate being then placed so that the beam is at its maximum amplitude, the absolute :value of said amplitude is adjusted by means of sleeve 26 of the connecting-rod 4. caused to pivot through and the absolute value of the new amplitude is adjusted, partly by The plate is means of the sleeve 26 of the connecting-rod, partly by means of the square-headed screw 23. The first position is resumed and checking is effected to see if the absolute value of the maximum amplitude'has not varied. In the reverse case, the. operation is begun over again as many times .as .is necessary for the two amplitudes to be adjusted at their values. The sleeve 26 is then locked in'position by means of the two lock-nuts 21, 28 and the eccentric by means of the corresponding nut.

'"The. head of the test-piece ll is replaced in not to'become wedged, and sufiiciently small for no beating to take place at each change in direction of the movement.

For allowing the test-piece to be subjected to alternate distortions according to a law other than the pure sinusoidal law, it is necessary to modify the simple machine which has just been described, by adding thereto members which impart to the test-piece a supplementary movement which is superposed on the preceding one.

For that purpose the double machine diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5 is devised, in which, accordin to the invention, instead of hanging the beam 5'from a fixed pivot 6, it is hung by its pivot 30 from a fork-piece 55 which oscillates in its turn about a pivot 56 geometrically coinciding with pivot 6, and the beam 5 is weighted at its lower part so that, in the position of equilibrium thereof it is hung from pivot 55 by fork-piece 55 and pivot 36. A second crank-connecting-rod system 57, 58, identical to the crank-connectingrod system 3, 4 is then arranged at the upper part of the machine by connecting the connectingrod 58 to the pivot 6 as the connecting-rod 4 is connected to pivot 30, and a movement of r0- tation is imparted to plate 51 by means of an independent electric motor-'59. If the motor 531s stationary the double machine thus obtained behaves exactly as the simple machine already described.- If, on the contrary, it is motor I which is stationary, electric motor 59 transmits to the beam, and consequently, to the test-piece a pure sinusoidal movement, by the test-piece oscillating about axis which then becomes the fixed point of beam 5. If both motors I and 59 rotate simultaneously, the two movements will be superposed and impart to the test-piece distortions which follow a definite law on the one hand by the respective eccentricities of the crank-connectingrod systems 3, 4 and 51, 58, and on the other hand by the respective periods, or speeds of rotation of these two crank-connecting-rod systems.

If it is desired to impart to the test-piece a uniform movement of normal amplitude, with superposition of overloads acting spasmodically,

one of the crank-connecting-rod systems, system 51, 58 for instance, is replaced by a cam of suitable profile against which the corresponding pivot of the beam, pivot 6 for instance is, directly or not, constantly pressed by a suitable spring. At each passage of the boss of the cam, beam 5 receives a supplementary impulse which imposes on the test-piece the required overload, if the profile of the cam has been suitably traced.

It is obvious that crank 51 and connectingrod 58 respectively of Fig. 5, shown only diagrammatically will have a similar construction to crank 3 and connecting rod 4 shown in detail in Fig. 2, and that they will be adjustable in the same way by eccentric and longitudinal displacement to vary the amplitude of movement. Similarly, beam 5 of Fig. 5 may obviously be provided with an index 1 cooperating with a graduation 8 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Finally, the length of connecting rods 4 and 58 can be acted upon during the operation, b replacing them by pivoted systems and by acting on the pivotal points, but the preceding solutions appear to be much more simple.

In the case in which said machine is intended to be used for testing by alternate fiexure non metallic materials, such as wood and plastic materials or synthetic resins, it is completed by the adjunction of vertically adjustable jaws replacing the fixed jaws previously used. The adjustment can be efiected by means of a slide-block provided in the frame of the apparatus and the whole held stationary by two screws receiving nuts and lock-nuts. The clamp secured at the upper part of the test-piece will be widened in order to receive plates the thickness of which may reach 1 cm. The frame of the machine will have larger dimensions. All the other devices will be similar to those previously indicated.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the machine according to the invention which have just been described are only intended to illustrate the manner in which it can be constructed simply and practically, but the construction thereof can be modified to a large extent without departing thereby from the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine for testing materials constrained to alternate flexure comprising jaw members adapted to grip firmly one end of a test-piece, a motor, a crank plate of variable eccentricity, means connecting said motor with said crankplate to rotate the latter, a beam oscillatable about an axis parallel to the axis of flexure of the test-piece and provided with a bifurcated portion on one side of said axis of oscillation, a longitudinally adjustable connecting rod connecting said crank plate with a point of said beam on the other side of said axis of oscillation, a member secured to the free end of the test-piece, a spindle supported in said member, a roller rotatable on said spindle, bifurcated portion of said beam engaging said roller, and a device for comparing the amplitude of displacement of the free endof said test-piece with that of the displacement caused by a stress of definite intensity, said device comprising a scale member and an indicating member, one of said members being fixed and the other of said members being movable with said beam.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 having means for automatically stopping the motor upon breakage of the test-piece comprising a switch controlling said motor, a spring urging said member secured to the free end of the test-piece in an upward direction, a rocking lever having one arm positioned to be engaged by said member when moved upwardly, the other end of said rocking lever being positioned to actuate said switch.

3. A machine for testing materials constrained to alternate fiexure comprising jaw members adapted to grip firmly one end of a test-piece, a first motor, a first crank plate of variable eccentricity, means for connecting said first motor with said first crank plate to rotate the latter, a beam oscillatable about an axis parallel to the axis of fiexure of said test-piece and provided with a bifurcated portion on one side of said axis, a longitudinally adjustable connecting rod connecting said first crank plate to a point of said beam coinciding with said axis of oscillation, an arm pivotal about an axis parallel to the axis of fiexure of the test-piece and supporting said beam at a point vertically above the point of connection of said connecting rod and beam, a second motor, a second crank plate of variable eccentricity, means for connectin said second motor with said second crank plate to rotate the latter and a second longitudinally adjustable connecting rod connecting said second crank plate to a point of said beam on the other side of said axis of oscillation, and a device for comparing the amplitude of the displacements of the free end of the test-piece with that of the displacement caused by a stress of definite intensity, said device comprising a scale member and an indicating member, one of said members being fixed and the other of said members being movable with said beam.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 comprising a member secured to the free end of said testpiece, a spindle supported in said member, and a roller rotatable on said spindle, the bifurcated portion of said beam engaging said roller with slight play. 1

ROBERT LHERMITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 512,035 Great Britain Aug. 28, 1939 

